adidas SoleCourt Boost Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.0

When Boost is featured in the name of an adidas shoe, as it is with the SoleCourt Boost, expectations for the comfort are naturally set pretty high. Although the coveted material spans from heel to midfoot, our testers were pretty split on how they felt about the comfort of their pairs. This was largely due to the fit of the SoleCourt Boosts; notably, they run wider in the forefoot and have a pronounced arch. With his wide feet, it was a natural pairing for Jason. He remarked, "My feet were really happy that these shoes fit wider than normal, especially in the forefoot. With the Boost cushioning in three-quarters of the midsole, the ride was super plush and comfortable. I love that memory foam-like material around the ankle collar as well. I'd say the ventilation is probably not the best, since my feet felt fairly warm after an hour of hitting."

Troy has a wealth of experience testing adidas shoes. He explained how these SoleCourt Boosts fit his narrow feet, saying, "The fit of these shoes was very similar to the adidas Barricade 2018 when it came to the length. I wore a size 9.5 in both of these shoes. The toe box of the SoleCourt Boosts was a bit too wide for me, though, especially after I broke them in. My toes had a lot of lateral wiggle room. After a couple of weeks I started wearing two pairs of socks, and the fit was much more to my liking. There was also a significant feel to the arches, which I was a big fan of. I am accustomed to using Superfeet Premium Insoles, which provide a high level of arch support. I felt no need to use an aftermarket insole with these SoleCourt Boosts. The ventilation was similar to most Barricades that I have worn. It wasn't a strong point, but I never felt like my feet were overly hot. My two knocks on the comfort of these shoes were some toe-jamming and the minimal forefoot cushioning. A few times when I sprinted forward to run down a drop shot and came to a sudden stop, I felt my toes jamming into the front of these shoes. It was not as harsh as I experienced with the Barricade 7, but it was still evident. The forefoot felt very low to the court and was great for lateral movement, but it lacked some of the plushness that I look for in a shoe. My Asics Gel Resolution 7s and New Balance Fresh Foam Lavs provide better forefoot cushioning and have similar levels of support."

Sean had many of the same criticisms. He added, "Perhaps I set my expectations a bit too high with this launch, but I was fairly disappointed in the fit and comfort of these shoes when I first tried them on. The toe box was wider than I prefer, and the arch sat up high for tennis shoes, which periodically caused soreness after long hits. After playing in these shoes for a bit, I noticed they softened up around the edges, which made them more comfortable, but the extra room and elasticity made me feel less locked-in than I initially felt. The Boost cushioning in the heel was rather plush, but the forefoot felt minimal, much like a Barricade. With standard D-width feet, I would recommend wearing two pairs of socks. I liked the extra padding around the heel collar, and the ventilation was about average for me."

Erik needed to make some adjustments to get the fit right, but he ultimately enjoyed the comfort of his pair. He said, "These shoes have very good cushioning in the heel due to the Boost technology. However, there wasn't a ton of cushioning in the forefoot. The fit was a little wider, which was nice, and it required no break-in for me. I did experience a little bit of heel slippage with the SoleCourt Boost, but I corrected this by tying the shoe with a runner's knot to create an extra eyelet, which cinched the heel up more. The ventilation was nothing extraordinary, but it did the job."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.4

Although the SoleCourt Boost was not designed to replace the Barricade, much of the heritage and technology has been adopted into this new offering. Fans of the Barricade line will notice a familiar chassis and locked-in feel, but the SoleCourt Boost adds an outrigger for a broad, stable base and a padded foam memory collar to prevent heel slippage. Troy elaborated on that comparison, saying, "The lateral stability was great, right up there with all of the adidas Barricades I have playtested. These shoes felt less rigid out of the box than the adidas Barricade 2018, but I still found a lot of stability during lateral movements. The first time I wore the SoleCourt Boosts I noticed the toe box was slightly wide for me. After a couple weeks of playtesting the shoes started to soften up a bit, and that's when I started to feel like I had too much lateral space within the toe box. I started wearing two pairs of socks, and I was able to achieve a much more glove-like fit. I also found that the support was enhanced due to the lacing system. I could cinch the laces very tightly and lock down my heels with these shoes. With two pairs of socks and the laces nice and tight, I felt like I was ready for battle."

Sean was also able to make some adjustments to feel more locked in. He explained, "Despite some fit issues early on, I moved forward wearing two pairs of socks to fill the shoe out, and then the SoleCourt Boosts more than redeemed themselves with their on-court performance. The stability and support were on point. The level of stability was Barricade-like, which means these are among the most supportive shoes on the market."

Likewise, Erik found that two pairs of socks remedied his fit issues. He said, "These shoes gave me excellent foot support, and the cushioning was very responsive. I felt quite stable in these shoes, especially when moving laterally. Whenever I was sliding out to the ball I felt locked in on the side of the shoe. My only issue was a little bit of slippage in the heel, but it wasn't a huge issue if I wore two pairs of socks and cinched up the laces."

Jason generally felt satisfied with the stability of his pair, but he had an issue with his laces loosening during play. He described, "I was having some trouble keeping my laces tied up tightly with these shoes. After 30 minutes or so, they would loosen up so my foot would not be as locked in. That didn't seem to affect the side-to-side stability, though, which was good to see. However, I did notice the slightest hint of toe jamming. It was something that I was aware of, but it didn't end up being too big of an issue."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.6

Longtime Barricade aficionados will be familiar with adiwear 6, adidas' rubber outsole compound that is famously durable, even for the most demanding movers. Although the SoleCourt Boosts are not backed by a durability guarantee, our testers noted very little wear on their shoes even after putting them to the metaphorical grindstone during the month-long playtest. Even one of our more aggressive movers had difficulty wearing down the rubber. Erik remarked, "The durability is extremely impressive. The outsoles are extremely tough and have held up very well. Surprisingly, the sides are staying intact and haven't worn much, if at all. The toes have held up exceptionally well, too; there is not much wear on this part of the shoe at all. Overall, I'm impressed with these shoes and their durability."

Jason found the durability to be right in between two adidas classics. He said, "The durability of these shoes was impressive. I put about 15 hours on them and barely noticed any tread loss. They aren't quite at Barricade levels, but they're more durable than the Ubersonic line."

Sean was also very impressed with the durability of his pair, ranking them at the top of his list. He explained, "This is the other aspect of the shoe that mirrored the Barricade. At the end of the playtest I had hardly any wear showing on my pair. Along with the Gel Resolution 7s and 2018 Barricades, these are the most durable shoes I have tested."

Although Troy's outsoles held up just as well, the absence of a durability guarantee seemed to irk him. He said, "The durability was excellent with these adidas SoleCourt Boosts, and it lived up to most adidas Barricade shoes that I have playtested. The outsole wasn't quite as beefy as I recall from some older versions of the Barricades, such as the fifth and sixth generations. With that being said, the outsoles on these shoes were similar in durability to the 2017 and 2018 Barricades. The toe durability was good, especially since I do not drag my toes like I once did. The frustrating part for me is that these shoes do not have a durability guarantee and cost $160. Why wouldn't adidas offer a durability guarantee? I know there are tournament players, team players and upcoming juniors who would appreciate a guarantee for such highly regarded shoes."

Traction - Score: 4.4

As well as offering exceptional durability, the adiwear 6 material used on the outsoles continued to steal the show for its traction. Balancing the qualities of grip and give, the SoleCourt Boosts seemed to have found that sweet spot that translates into confident movement on court. Troy elaborated, "Traction was spot on with these shoes. The adiwear 6 rubber compound is tried and true. The traction was good right out of the box, with a lot grip on the court. I could stop on a dime and change directions with ease. As with the Barricades I've playtested, I found the traction to feel even better after a couple weeks of wear. The rubber started to smooth out a bit, and there was just the right amount of give to the brakes when I was coming to an aggressive stop."

Sean tried his shoes out on multiple surfaces with great success. He said, "With the durability being so impressive, I was surprised by the level of traction these shoes offered. I would definitely put them on the stickier side, but they're not grippy to the point of getting stuck. The outsole pattern, which is pretty similar to a full herringbone pattern, allowed me to occasionally slide on hard courts. I took my pair out on a clay court and felt that they adapted very well, which speaks to the versatility of that pattern."

Erik was also able to adapt the SoleCourt Boosts to his versatile movement style. He said, "This shoe has very solid traction, but I was still able to slide, especially when moving laterally along the baseline. They are not slick, which is good. I didn't find myself slipping when abruptly changing directions."

Jason didn't enjoy the traction as much the rest of the team, wanting a little more give from his outsole. He commented, "I found the outsoles to be on the stickier side, which was great when I needed to sprint toward a ball. However, when trying to quickly stop and change directions, the outsoles were just a tad too sticky for my liking."

Weight - Score: 3.9

At 15.7 ounces, the SoleCourt Boosts seem to be taking a stand against the idea that lighter automatically means faster. Standing on the shoulders of the Barricade line, the SoleCourt Boosts achieve their speed by being so stable that the player feels confident digging in and hunkering down, a style that screams battle more than grace. Throw in some extra tread for durability, and the weight starts to make more sense. Though he normally prefers lighter shoes, Jason was still not dismayed. He noted, "I wouldn't let the 15.7-ounce (size 10.5) weight scare you away from trying these shoes. Did they feel feathery light? No. But they certainly felt lighter than the static weight would suggest, and I barely even noticed the weight once I had them on court. Because there is no Boost material in the forefoot the shoes had a great heel-to-toe transition, which made them feel faster."

For Troy, the scale gives a number but not the full story. He elaborated, "These SoleCourt Boosts have a somewhat substantial feel when it comes to weight, but after wearing them, I don't think they felt as heavy as the scale would indicate. The fact that these shoes got more supple after a couple of wears allowed me to feel nimble around the court. The SoleCourt Boosts did not feel as rigid out of the box as the Barricade 2018s, although they are a little over an ounce heavier. In terms of weight, these shoes felt similar to the New Balance Fresh Foam Lavs, both of which I thought seemed lighter than the scale displayed."

Sean added, "Although these shoes weigh 15.7 ounces, the weight never felt cumbersome. Rather, it allowed me to trust the stability of the shoes and unlock some of my fastest movement. If adidas allocated the weight toward making the shoes more stable and durable, that's fine with me."

Similar to Sean, Erik actually appreciated some of the extra material, especially on his most aggressive movements. He said, "These shoes are heavy, which is nice from a stability perspective. The weight keeps these shoes from toppling over whenever I slide out to a ball. I felt like I was very secure in the SoleCourt Boosts, partially due to their heft."

Overall - Score: 4.1